


Drag Him Down

by sanbika



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Cultural Differences, Angst, Drowning, Fear, Lance (Voltron) Angst, M/M, Manipulation, Partial Mind Control, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rebellion, Rescue, Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:55:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24105535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanbika/pseuds/sanbika
Summary: An image was stuck behind Kinkade's eyelids, Lance falling down, surrounded by evil, dark things, reaching out for him, the feeling that he’d never make it in time. He’d seen his worst fear happening.
Relationships: Ryan Kinkade/Lance
Comments: 10
Kudos: 35
Collections: Lance Goes Boom





	Drag Him Down

**Author's Note:**

> This piece was my assignment for the Lance Goes Boom Reverse Bang! It was so interesting to base a story off of artwork and when I saw this beautiful piece by [cluelesspaladin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cluelesspaladin/pseuds/cluelesspaladin), I got so pumped to write it (and to try my hand at Kinkance for the first time)! I normally use a soundtrack for writing but this piece came so easily together without listening to anything at all. Let me know how you like it and please check out all of the great stories and art in the bang!

Ri‘iandn was remarkable and Kinkade’s fingers itched for his camera. If they weren’t on a diplomatic mission to assist the planet with peace talks to end its centuries’ long civil war, and if he wasn’t representing the Atlas, the Galaxy Garrison and the entire Earth, he would be snapping pics and taking recordings of every last detail to bring home to show his family. 

The planet itself was fantastically beautiful, with vivid colors that he suspected held more pigments than the human eye could register. Vegetation and plant life weren’t merely one color but fragmented shades thatched together in bright jewel tones, almost like a mosaic. The two suns were shining warm yellow but also icy blue at the same time. The breeze itself was full of glowing particles, dust or sand he guessed, that made the very air seem magical. 

“We’re in a Lisa Frank coloring book,” Lance quipped to Garret and Holt under his breath, as they walked behind the host coalition of aliens. “Who?” Leifsdottir asked idly as she looked at Rizavi and Griffin, who could only shrug. The other Paladins didn’t get the reference either, and he groaned before aiming a glare at his sister. 

“They don’t know Lisa Frank!”

He didn’t see the Captain’s response but he suspected it was one of her cold-as-ice eyebrow lifts, because Lance turned back around, flushing when he noticed Kinkade’s steady gaze. 

He knew about Lisa Frank toys and artbooks, his kid sister loved filling them out on her tablet, and he had to agree that the prismatic explosion of colors would fit in well with the look. 

If he weren’t on a mission, he would have chimed in his agreement. As it was he was distracted enough by the Red Paladin, and wasn’t willing to risk his Captain’s ire no matter how much he liked her brother, so he contented himself with the promise that he’d offer the other man a smile if they caught each other’s eyes again. 

Kinkade liked to hear Lance’s jokes. Liked to see how animated he got by the most random and mundane things. 

It was refreshing to see in a relatively dry and formal military career where personalities often got overwritten by rank, title, and ambition. In truth, he liked everything about his boyfriend, and though they hadn’t been dating that long, felt relaxed and comfortable around him even when he was being silly and dramatic. Maybe especially so. Lance brought out a lot in him, jokes, conversations, even bickering occasionally. He’d never met anyone so alive and when he thought about the two of them, their future together, he felt excited. 

“Psst,” Rizavi elbowed him quickly to get his attention, and he shook his head, realizing he’d fallen too far behind the others.

Maybe it wasn’t all good. He was a lot more prone to daydreaming and distraction since they’d started dating too. He raised his eyebrows and picked up the pace while she snickered. 

_Over here, we will walk by our Lake of Purification, and we will show you the history of our people enshrined on our rock walls._

The group continued their walk along the historical trail by the lake, with Admirals Shirogane and Holt leading the way with the Grand Viziers discussing the cultural and economic impacts of the war. 

Captain Olia, Kolivan, Kogane, and other members of the Blade of Marmora were meeting with the Ri’iandi rebels, the Rixa’ane, to hear them out and list demands and compromises they’d be willing to make. Given the rumors of their ruthlessness and secrecy, it was determined the Blade would be the best to approach them to discuss peace. The teams would meet on the Atlas to discuss their findings and bring a plan of action to both groups. 

_The nature of the tragic civil war is complex and spans centuries, with the true reasons behind it unclear. It is taking a toll on the safety of our innocent, pure civilians and the planet’s ecosystems, with pollution from rebel weapons impacting our waters and farming facilities. The war needs to end soon to prevent long-term damage and save lives. We Ri’iandi have agreed to a truce for the next few days. We hope our goal of ridding our beautiful planet of its Defilement will be achieved through these landmark negotiations._

Their ear pieces were buzzing with information sent down from the Atlas to provide context, but Kinkade had stopped paying attention. He was more interested in the art displays and murals etched in stone, the way the opposing Ri’iandi were given a name, Rixa’ane, which the scanner in their translator helpfully labeled as _The Defiled_. They were depicted roughly, in dark colors, wild poses, often nude, always committing acts of violence. 

It was hard to believe such a beautiful place had sustained years of violence. And even harder to take the art at face value. They had learned painfully throughout the war that there were usually two tellings of every story. 

“Neat,” Leifsdottir commented, “This one’s decapitating five different beings at once.”

Griffin sighed, and rubbed his face. 

“Can we just pay attention to the very important diplomatic mission we’re on, please? Ina?” He whispered, frustration leaking out in his clipped tone. 

“We can’t help it,” Rizavi whispered, “This is just as boring as every other diplomacy mission we’ve been on. On such a gorgeous planet too! And we’re pilots, we’re contributing nothing! My brain is melting, I’m gonna lose it!”

Ahead of them Lance giggled, clearly enjoying their antics as he walked along with Garrett and Holt. It made his heart melt to know Lance got along swimmingly with his fellow MFE pilots. 

Lance turned his head to throw a wink and a kiss at Kinkade before resuming his serious, if cocky, demeanor. He had to bite his lip to hold back a goofy grin, but he couldn’t stop his blush and his best friend rounded on him.

“Not you too, Kinkade! We’re the MFE pilots, we’re symbolic. We’ve got to take this seriously.”

Captain McClain dropped back to walk apace with their group and they instantly stopped the lighthearted bickering.

“Got a lot to say, today Griffin? How are you learning about the war if you’re chatting away?”

James was affronted, scoffing and pointing at the others, “I, they, they were!”

Lance couldn’t stop his own chuckle which his sister pounced on.

“The same goes for you Paladins. I might not be your captain, _McClain_ , but you’re representing the Coalition too. Ears open and eyes forward.” She smiled at them and walked a little ahead, the definition of tough but fair.

They were trying to negotiate the end to a war, after all. It was hard to remember here in the fresh, iridescent air. The battles took place far away, in the homelands of the rebels. The city here looked absolutely peaceful, perfectly calm. 

Leifsdottir sighed. She’d been commenting on every intricate detail or natural oddity and the order to be silent challenged her quixotic nature. 

The weather changed constantly; mostly dry and warm, with blue and purple clouds skidding across the sky. The air was thin so when a cold wind passed by, each breath seemed to chill him to the bottom of his lungs. 

_With all of the refractive elements in the plants and non-living creatures, our lives and all living creatures on Ri’iandn have armored scales to reflect light off of them and to maintain heat in the cold. It is only cold two seasons a deca-phoeb but the temperatures drop to super-cool which our species has adapted to thrive in._

The Ri’iandi themselves were striking, almost fairy-like. They looked like tall, marine blue-scaled humanoids with four long arms, three brightly glittering blue diamond-shaped eyes, and two pearly curved horns on their heads. Their jaws were beaklike but despite the insectoid appearance, they were not terrifying. They also didn’t talk, lacking vocal apparatus, but used psychic impressions to communicate and listen. 

While they appeared very sincere and friendly, it was hard to gauge their intentions without expressions and without tone. Hearing words in a language you didn’t understand being spoken in your head was unusual enough, but the delay with translation made Kinkade uneasy. It felt violating somehow. He couldn’t help but wish they had vocal transmitters like other telepathic species. 

Rizavi threw him a look of pure disgust as they ambled past an exit. It had already been a long morning of gifts and formalities and pronouncements as the meeting’s objectives were shared. But before they had sat down to discuss the main issues behind the war or possible negotiations, they had been ushered outside for a tour of the capital city. 

Given the way Griffin was bouncing his heel and the twin looks of exasperation on Garrett and Holt’s faces, he wasn’t the only one wishing they could just get down to brass tacks and move forward with the negotiations. 

_Well, at least we’re outside looking at the astounding natural sights headed towards the final part of the tour._

His eye caught on a strand of woven cords dangling from one of the Ri’iandi uniforms, floating around on the breeze. It would make a nice picture if he had his camera.

Kinkade had noticed earlier that the Ri’iandi decorated their plated armor with flowing capes, gossamer sashes, vibrant shells, and finely woven ropes made of vines, and dyed threads, which the humans admired for the intricacy and coloring. 

Lance had asked one of the Viziers earlier if he could buy one, which had made the aliens shiver, their version of laughing. They explained that each design had a meaning, an act of valor or cleverness. These were their military histories displayed on their bodies. They had patted Lance’s head, like a dog. He grinned and moved on but something rankled Kinkade after that, some feeling of oddness permeated him. 

_While our clothing and art may seem humble in appearance, our technology is quite advanced and our healthy, thriving planet has adapted to live in a sustainable manner without harming the ecosystem despite the brutal war. The rebels are in dire straits, running out of supplies and endangering the lives of their families._

The Ri’iandi guide droned on placidly in his ear as they moved towards a body of still, crystalline water. 

_Because of our technological advancements and our harmonious technologies, your Alliance’s peacekeeping task force has taken our terrible civil war on as a priority. There is much we Ri’iandi could teach other planets about sustainable living, especially planets that had struggled to rebuild after the Galran war, like your Earth._

As breathtaking and surreal as the environment was, it took a lot of focus for Kinkade not to side-eye the Red Paladin, walking beside him. 

He was dressed in his Paladin armor for the formal occasion. He was good at acting the part of a serious hero, for the most part, was listening to their translators as they toured the capital and learned about the war.

But Kinkade had learned to read his expressions, and seeing that familiar little smirk snake across his face when he was whispering a joke to his friends or that brightly curious expression as he took everything in was exciting. He felt like he was starting to know Lance, how he felt and what he thought about everything. It made Kinkade want to sneak a kiss on him somehow.

A hand reached down and grabbed him by the waist and he turned sideways with a shock, realizing that he had narrowly avoided walking off the path and into a stone pillar. 

“Eyes up, Kinkade,” Captain McClain said, with a laugh and a pursed lip. He nodded and turned away, feeling a flush burn his ears.

He coughed, “Sorry, Captain, won’t happen again.” Her twinkling eyes seemed to imply that they both knew that likely wasn’t true. While she could be a hardass, she was a very supportive and kind friend. 

Part of his distraction stemmed from his photographic memory. He was a reflective person, and had an innate knack for noticing one singular detail he could use later to recreate entire pictures in his mind. 

Excelling at capturing information through details and patterns was a skill that set him apart from others whether he was capturing a photo or film or learning sentry patterns from a sniper’s nest. 

And this place, this planet, was magical. 

Especially now as the suns edged towards the horizon. 

The coalition group paused in a closeby alcove as golden and blue light streaked over their surroundings, gleaming off the water, creating bright shadows and rainbows when the beams hit the Ri’iandi’s scales or fractal-patterned flora and fauna. The lake was entirely translucent and the long plant fronds swayed back and forth. Though it was mostly still and clear as day, they could see parts of the lake darken in spots, where deep underground caves absorbed all the light. 

Even if he were looking at the fantastic view, his eye kept sliding over to see Lance who was up ahead, leaning against the railing, taking in the gorgeous view with a soft smile. 

The sunset colors and tones seemed perfectly designed to contrast him. Dusty rose, burnt orange, cadet blue hues reflected off of his warm, tanned skin and blinding Paladin armor. Kinkade swallowed and desperately committed the image to his memory. 

The blue tone from the light hitting the water was a familiar color, a deep, cobalt that reminded him of Lance’s eyes when Kinkade had first confessed his feelings to him a few months ago. He checked to see that the group was still standing and watching the sunset hit the placid waters and change colors before indulging in the memory. 

_  
Lance bit his lip, blushing, wide eyes darting all over the place as they walked behind the group. His ice cream melting over his hands caused him to dip down to lick the caramel drips off of his fingers, before stopping and craning his neck to see Kinkade gazing down at him._

_“Holy crow, you’re waiting for an answer and here I am getting ice cream all over myself.”_

_Kinkade considered Lance’s obvious nerves and his own racing heart before cupping his hand over Lance’s shoulder briefly._

_He looked steadily at the other, noticing the way Lance’s eyes jerked to his shoulder, the way his blush grew in his cheeks, and the way Lance seemed to unconsciously move closer to Kinkade as they strolled along._

_“No pressure, Lance. Whatever you’re feeling or want to do, it’s not going to change my respect for you or our friendship. Or our work relationship. I just wanted to let you know what I was feeling, that, that I think there might be something between us worth exploring.”_

_And Kinkade stopped to swallow down his nervous tension, noticing that Lance stopped as well, turning to him with wide eyes and his mouth dropped open, about to speak but not saying anything._

_Kinkade’s eyes traced the golden lines trailing, glimmering in the desert sun, watching them slip down from Lance’s sugar cone, waiting for a response before he braved a look into the other man’s eyes._

_Lance’s blue, blue, watery blue eyes. The aqua Altean marks seemed almost luminous and his lip was trembling. He looked ready to cry._

_Kinkade straightened up, searching for something to say, hands fluttering before solidly wrapping around Lance’s upper arms. “Are you okay? What’s wrong? Are you, did I?” He stumbled over his words clumsily, trying to think what he could have done to make his friend cry._

_“No, no, it’s not that,” and Lance’s voice was thick, like he was fighting back emotion. He patted one of Kinkade’s hands, smearing the caramel drips onto his knuckles._

_“It’s so sweet what you’re saying, and I like it, I mean, I like you, I like your smile and your dimples, and the way you watch everyone, and the way you call your shots and know whether you made it before looking is so sexy, like incredibly sexy, heck, your stats are sexy, just looking at them gives me butterflies, and I love watching your videos, they make me stop and think for a minute, and you’re hot, like really freakin’ hot. Like bounce a quarter off your abs hot, cheekbones that could cut a man hot, eyes you could get lost in for days hot-”_

_Kinkade felt warm, and swallowed, at a loss for how to respond to Lance’s blurted confession until he heard Rizavi’s shrill giggle and realized they were being watched. He turned to ask for privacy before realizing the group had scattered and were probably snooping from a distance. Rolling his eyes, he turned back. Lance was watching him with a crooked smile._

_“Sorry, I, uh, just wanted some privacy but it seems we’ve got it, or at least they’re hiding so we feel like we’re alone.”_

_Lance chuckled and motioned to a bench off of the path._

_“Well this is some juicy hot goss... the two best snipers at the Garrison’s sordid affair.”_

_Kinkade snorted a laugh as he leaned back onto the creaking wood, “So scandalous.”_

_Lance lifted his hand up, realizing then that it was covered with ice cream and complained, “oh man, I’m gonna attract bees! I hate bees! They’re evil,” he tried to lick up one line of melted caramel before remembering where he was. He raised an eyebrow, clearly attempting a sexier look, but it just made Kinkade laugh at the cheesy expression._

_Kinkade was more of a quiet chuckle guy so the belly laugh brought out a wide grin from the Paladin. Kinkade pulled a water bottle out from a side pocket, and pulled Lance’s hand over the grass, rinsing away the goo._

_“Man, you’re always prepared, aren’t you? Anyway, I’m sorry, I should be trying to impress you, not acting like a goon. I just am a little rusty with crushes, I guess.”_

_Kinkade shook his head, enjoying the feeling of Lance’s hand under his as he rubbed off the stickiness. “I enjoy being around you. You make me happy, especially when you’re being a goon. You’re cute, your smile is pretty.”_

_Lance paused again, flushing yet again, wrinkling his nose, “Oh geez, I’m not used to, uh, being the flirt-ee. That was smooth. Well delivered,” he dropped his head to scratch at his hair._

_Kinkade pulled his hand back from Lance’s, shaking the water off it. “Was that too much? You don’t like it?”_

_Lance peeked at him from his hunched over position, a flash of blue and a rosey blush, a mumble just audible over his knees, “I liked it a lot,” before covering his face with his hands and groaning._

_Kinkade couldn’t stop his own smile and let the soaring feeling building up in his chest lead him to wrap an arm around Lance’s broad shoulders._

_“So are you going to go on a date with me? Or do I have to guess?” He said, contentment and excitement warring with equal measure inside._

_Lance turned then, face oddly shuttered, placing his cone on the bench beside him, and taking Kinkade’s hand in his own._

_“Of course I want to go on a date. You’re the total package! I’ve been crushing hard for a while. It’s just, I just…”_

_Kinkade demurred, softly rubbing his thumb back and forth over Lance’s smooth hands. He felt a jolt of anxiety but forged on._

_“Is it… do you need time to heal from Allura?”_

_Lance cringed but met his eyes all the same._

_“No… but yes? A little? It’s been almost nine months and I feel like I’m in a good place there. I feel like I’ve got closure and I’m ready to move on and she would want me to and I want to, I mean I’ve been sneaking peeks at you for so long, at least a couple of months? So I think the spirit is willing, you know?”_

_He had been looking directly into Kinkade’s eyes then but shifted his gaze around, casting about for a way to express himself. Kinkade was fine with waiting, with watching him and letting him settle on what he wanted to say. He was fine with watching those deep blue eyes ruminate and settle._

_Lance looked at him again, gaze a bit wet, but focused, the softest expression on his face._

_“I’m afraid that I have a lot of baggage. I went through some heavy stuff with my first relationship, heck, in space, everything was heavy, not that you didn’t deal with heavy stuff too! Because of course you did, what with Earth being overrun by the Galra and the war-”_

_Kinkade offered a smile and shook his head. Lance didn’t have to explain himself but it was always a little sweet, and revealing, when he did._

_Lance hummed, “what I’m trying to say is, I don’t want your feelings or my feelings to be overshadowed by something that feels so big. I’m over it, I think, or I’m learning to let it go, but you are special, one of a kind, Ryan, and I don’t ever want you feeling like you are second to anyone.”_

_Lance paused and looked up again, shoulders hunched in. Around them the wind was gusting and if he focused he could hear the whispers from their friends somewhere ahead. The blue color in Lance’s eyes was a shade that Kinkade would never forget, burning it into his memory. Along with the way his name sounded when Lance said it._

_Kinkade wasn’t an outwardly emotional person very often but he felt deeply moved. Instead he let out a long breath. Groping for words, he clasped both of Lance’s hands in his own._

_“When you say things like that, it just makes me feel like I want to get to know you even more. That’s thoughtful, Lance, and knowing where you’re at can only help us. It doesn’t have to be serious right away. We can go slow, have fun together, get to know each other a day at a time.”_

_Lance let out a sigh of relief and smiled, “Yeah? The last time I dated was so intense... time was literally running out. It made my relationship feel heavy and serious too. And the way it ended… that felt like it almost killed me,” he stopped again, eyes wandering, “It’d be nice to have fun, enjoy life with you. But you’d need to tell me if I’m doing something wrong, I, uh, I’m not that experienced.”_

_Kinkade couldn’t but chuckle, “Voltron’s Loverboy isn’t experienced? Who’d have known?”_

_Lance huffed but he seemed lighter, giddy. It was a good look on him, smiles and bright blue eyes, sun-kissed skin and flushed cheeks. So Kinkade asked the next thing that came to mind._

_“Can I kiss you?”_

_Lance drew his breath in and coughed at the same time, spluttering, nodding slowly, oddly shyer than he’d expected. But the awkwardness was so endearing and… cute. Really cute._

_Kinkade leaned in and offered the gentlest kiss of his life to the other pilot._

_“We should, uh, definitely do that again,” Lance said with lidded eyes, licking his lips._

_Kinkade’s stomach thrummed with excitement as he leaned in._

And they had continued with the peaceful, opening acts of dating. 

They’d spent time with their friends, together and separately. 

They’d trained together, challenging each other’s skills and scores in an exhilarating way. 

They’d had a movie night, sharing their favorite films, including Lance’s awful action movies from centuries ago and Kinkade’s homemade reels and festival picks. 

They ran together on the weekdays and Lance had just invited him to the McClain’s weekly Church and Sunday Dinner, which, the Captain had informed him, was a big deal. 

He broke out of his reverie when he heard Captain McClain’s alarmed tone addressing his boyfriend.

“Lance? What’s wrong?”

Kinkade turned abruptly, seeking out Lance, who stood trembling some meters away, taking off his helmet, leaning heavily against the coral fence next to the lake. Lance turned for a moment, and unthinkingly took a step forward, shocked by the blue glow that encompassed his boyfriend’s eyes. 

He could hear the other members of the group talking, some shouting, but Kinkade’s focus was elsewhere. 

Lance turned sharply back to the water, muttering something before climbing up the first rail of the fence. 

“No, no… what’re you doing…”

Kinkade realized with a shock that he was saying names under his breath. 

“Allura, Veronica, Ryan...” 

He looked at the Captain and they both started to walk over to Lance but before they got close to him, a laser blast scorched the ground between them. 

One of the Viziers and its attendants stalked over. Ryan stumbled over the name in his head, Aashak’ith? Akshakith? A sour feeling churned his stomach. 

He didn’t have a weapon on him, and all of his thought faded away as he glanced at Captain McClain for cues. Taking a subtle half-step forward, he tried to inch towards Lance so he could physically put himself between the contingent of Ri’iandi guards and officials and the other man. But again, a blast of green laserfire clipped the ground next to him, leaving the naturally constructed path smoldering. Around them the Ri’iandi were holding more blasters, having concealing them in their clothing. 

_Do not touch the Defiled! Is this a trick? The audacity! Bringing the Defiled into our city!_

The Vizier was talking, eyes glittering, long limbs pointed at Lance, who was completely out of it, staring into the water. No longer placid, it was beginning to boil, as though a switch had been turned on, turbulent waves lapped at the fence and churned up mud turned the clear waters opaque. 

The Captain’s expression was dark, moving between her brother and the Ri’iandi, and each of the Atlas and Voltron members present. 

Commander Shirogane urged everyone to calm down, voice taut, “This is unacceptable, this is a peace-keeping mission. Our Paladin is clearly unwell, we need to care for him. There’s no reason to be shooting.”

The Second Vizier walked towards the back of the group slowly, weapon trained on Lance. 

_This is a farce. You have brought someone susceptible to the Darkness? He is Defiled. He must be disposed of before he becomes a weapon capable of destruction._

Admiral Holt marched over carefully with his hands raised, eyes focused on the officials. 

“You must lower your weapons. You told us you were a peaceful people! We are not armed, and if you attack us, the Atlas will be alerted. This is a mission to aid your planet, there is no need for violence.”

Ryan noticed Admiral Holt meet eyes with Shirogane and his daughter, whose hand whipped behind her back.

_Maybe we’re not that defenseless..._

The lake water was rapidly swirling, frothing back and forth, and it looked as though there were creatures surfacing every now and then.

Before another word could be said, Lance climbed another rung of the ladder, still murmuring senselessly. Captain McClain shouted and two Ri’iandi flanked her, stopping short of grabbing her but boxing her in. Ryan watched as more Ri’iandi appeared to double their numbers, surrounding them entirely. 

The Vizier turned towards the Admirals while keeping his weapon on Lance. 

_How dare you accuse us of violence, when you have brought this Defilement with you! He is responding to the dead, to our blood-thirsty ancestors! He can only be dark of mind if he is drawn in to them._

Captain McClain responded tersely, “We don’t know what you’re talking about. He is an honorable warrior who risked his life for the universe. There’s nothing wrong with our Red Paladin and I challenge you to find any person who survived the war who wasn’t hurt or changed by it.” She gritted her teeth and shouldered away from the guard. 

Commander Shirogane spoke with a calm, flint tone, “If anyone has been tricked, it’s us. We came unarmed, offering assistance and mediation and you have fired your weapons at us.”

_His mind is dark, just like our enemies, the Rixa’ane. His darkness calls to cruel spirits. If we allow this disturbance to continue it will ruin our society, destroy our balance. The Lake of Purification is where we can determine the light or darkness of any being. The spirits call to him, to corrupt him. He is a danger to us all-_

The Vizier cut off as something erupted out of the lake and pulled Lance over the railing as the Atlas and Voltron continent shouted. The water was dark, churning with shadows. They could see only the barest glow from his armor’s light panels. 

“Lance!” 

_Leave him._

“Dad, I’m hailing the Atlas! ETA 2 dobashes!”

 _See, they’re reaching for him, they want to use his Defilement for ill._

“Shiro, we have to go after him, his helmet is off! He’ll drown!”

_They have his mind. He won’t survive. They will leave if he’s pure. Let them drag him down._

Kinkade stopped listening and dropped low, using his shoulders to throw off the aliens around him, catching them in the joints and with the few seconds he’d bought, dove off of the railing after Lance. 

He heard a burst of laser fire, felt a rush of wind near him.

His team called out to him as he dropped cleanly into the water and opened his eyes to see things, beings all around Lance, wrapping around his limbs, caging him in and pulling him into the deep. 

He swam up and exhaled his air, taking a long slow breath, gathering his courage as he tried to think of how he would fight off those creatures without a weapon. From the shore, he heard a scuffle, laser fire, and knew his team was relying on him. He went down again.

“Kinkade!”

He wouldn’t let Lance go. 

Not like this. 

Not ever 

His eyes adjusted from the sparkling brilliance above. Here the water was dark and dim from the sand churned up around him. Every now and then he felt something rush by, a large shape, but never touching him, never close enough to reach. 

His arms ached as he plowed through the water, following the glimmer of blue and white below. The beings were similar to the Ri’iandi but where the aliens above were decorated in colors and light, these were dark, dreary, features muddled and blurred like an overexposed photo. 

His heart sank as he saw Lance’s arms drifting up towards the surface, mouth open, eyes a dark, lifeless blue, the same color as the beings around him. His expression was twisted, tortured.

For a moment Kinkade faltered, scared that maybe it was too late, that he wouldn’t be able to reach him in time as his body fell slowly towards unknown depths. But he soldiered on, not sure what he would fight them off with but ready to give it his all.

_Hang on, Lance._

Fear prickled his skin and hair but he headed straight towards them. And as he did, they scattered from Lance, as if they couldn’t touch him. He kicked his legs out, cutting through the water as quickly as he could until his lungs were burning and he was just a stroke or two away from Lance. 

Grunting, he grabbed the hand floating below and pulled him to his side, the dead weight nearly dragging him down again. The creatures floated back, watching him but not approaching and the water became still again, the only things moving were fronds of sea plants around them. The sudden stillness was eerie, especially know the number of eyes that were watching him.

Kinkade kicked up, shocked to see how far below they were. He kicked again, hoping he could balance Lance’ weight better, but combined with their armor he was starting to realize he might not be strong enough to pull them up to the surface. 

_Shit._

He didn’t have too long to panic because the urge to take a breath was growing with each passing tic. It must have been at least a dobosh and a half since he’d gone under already. And the creatures seemed to sense his fear because they were edging in, one passing close enough to draw out a cursed shout, nearly dislodging Lance’s body from his shoulder. 

_They are attracted to fear._

The creatures were restlessly surrounding him, but still not touching. 

Something about that pulled a primal adrenaline response, his heart racing, some sense jumping in recognition of their darkness, the danger they posed. He pushed up again, kicking steadily even as he felt their weight pull them down. He wanted to breathe, couldn’t stand the burning in his chest, needed a moment, but didn’t have one. He could feel the water in his nose trickling, urging him to cough, to inhale.

But the man he was starting to love needed every ounce of strength he had. Their teams were counting on him. 

Kinkade swam up, using his scraps of focus and bursts of strength to pull them up. Lance was awkwardly tall, heavy and slippery, constantly needing to be moved up as his weight sank them. His eyes were closed now, his hair floating around his face, making Kinkade’s nerves prick with the thought that he could be, that he might not-

A whisper echoed in his mind, too soft to make out, but it sounded something like _give in._

The thought crashed into his head that he might not be able to do this…. that he might not see his parents, his little sister again… that he might fail his team, the Atlas, Voltron…. Lance...

A jolt coursed through him.

He had no time to be afraid, couldn’t afford it, so he pushed on, watching the glimmer of the suns from above brighten the water. He tried to imagine his next date with Lance, to focus his attention on anything but the dark, the weight, the lack of air, the fear threatening to overwhelm him, and the creatures wanting to feed off of it. 

A metal cord broke the surface tension above and sank down to him, and his heart pounded with relief. Kinkade grabbed it, stomach leaping, and wrapped it around his hand, clutching Lance to him with the same hand. He almost cried as it began to draw him to the air.

As he came up, he couldn’t stop the flow of water through him any longer and he gasped, coughed, pushed out water from his throat when they broke through and put his fingers to Lance’s nose, praying for a puff or the tiniest whisper of air but steeled himself when he felt none. He couldn’t even see from the brightness and water running over his eyes, so he kept them closed, yelling out to the others.

“He’s not breathing!” Kinkade shouted as the cable was drawn towards the path and they were pulled onto it, blindly negotiating Lance’s body over the coral railings and allowing hands to grasp the two of them (even as flashes of the creatures in his mind caused him to shudder).

He kept coughing until his throat strained, wiping at his eyes, trying to get his bearings, panicking a little when he heard his best friend call to him.

“He’s okay, they’ve got air on him, Kinkade, here, dry your eyes, take deep breaths, he’s going to be okay.”

He felt a large, dry cloth press to his face and looked around when he could open his eyes to see a huge shadow over them all. The Atlas was hovering over the city, and Coalition and Blade members were scattered around. The Ri’iandi were clustered together, weapons in a pile out of reach. The images stacked on top of each other, but Kinkade couldn’t make sense of them. 

He barely noticed the sudden drop in temperature as the suns had gone down or the bright lights floating around them in glass orbs. He was acutely aware of one thing he couldn’t see, one person he needed to see but didn’t. 

“The Atlas arrived a dobash or so after you went in. Whatever’s going on with this Defiled garbage is most likely the reason behind the war going on. The Blade were on their way here anyway when they learned that the rebels were exiled and left to die without food or water because they disagreed with these zealots.”

He would have to ask what that meant later, when he could focus on what had happened. But his eyes had caught on a group of medical staff and Captain McClain grouped around a prone white figure.

Kinkade staggered up, muscles burning and nearly failing. His team quickly stabilized him and walked him over to the medical group, pausing him when he went too fast and his tired quads shook. 

Garrett called out an emotional thanks from somewhere but Kinkade stored it away to deal with later, along with all the other questions that nagged at him. 

He dropped down next to Lance, heart bursting with gratitude to see his eyes clear and alert, if shaky. 

“You’re all right?”

Lance reached his hand out, clasping Kinkade’s gently, tearing up. His body was trembling and his breath stuttered even as a clear bag and tube fed him pure oxygen. 

“Thanks to my knight in shining armor, yeah. I’m ok…. thanks to you.”

He sounded cheery but his haunted expression told a different story. 

The Atlas medic next to him, an Olkari whose name Kinkade didn’t know but who he promised to learn so he could thank them later, smiled and patted him on the arm before turning away with a tablet. 

Captain McClain turned and spoke then, her eyes tired and angry.

“We have to get a clearer picture but it seems those beings are a part of the war. They appeared here a few centuries ago and took on a familiar shape. They drain the life force of beings who fall to their mind control. The Ri’iandi here try to appease them by changing their behaviors and thoughts and condemning those who are susceptible to their influence to exile. The Rixa'ane fight them, believing they’re evil. It seems we were manipulated to end the war advantageous to the Ri’iandi. End of story, I owe you my thanks, Kinkade, for saving my brother’s life.” 

She gave him a watery smile and pressing a hand to his shoulder, she moved to the Admirals’ side. 

Once they were alone, Kinkade leaned over, feeling his strength drain away. He pressed his forehead to Lance’s temple, careful to avoid the breathing apparatus, feeling heat creep into his eyes. 

“What did you, what happened to you? Are you okay now?” 

He trembled, his breath stuttering away. 

A cold hand curled around his jaw and the back of his neck. They were both soaking wet. 

Lance rested his head against Kinkade as best he could, taking longer, slower breaths. He felt the rapid patter of his heartbeat slow. 

“I don’t remember. It’s kind of blurry. But I heard you all, I heard you and Veronica and, and Allura all dying and I couldn’t do anything. It was, I heard my, my worst fears. That’s all I could hear and see and-”

Lance’s voice shook. The mission drained away, the wonder at the candy fluff clouds and the technicolor landscape, the boredom and tediousness of the tour, the bitter anger at the betrayal and lies, the sick beliefs that had almost sacrificed Lance. 

An image was stuck behind Kinkade’s eyelids, Lance falling down, surrounded by evil, dark things, reaching out for him, the feeling that he’d never make it in time, the feeling of being pulled down as he tried anyway. He’d seen his worst fear happening. 

He collapsed into quiet sobs. 

Lance pulled him closer, his other hand stroking his hair, lips murmuring comforts into his ear.

“I’m right here. You saved me. We’re okay, thanks to you. I’m not going anywhere, Ryan.”

Behind them, waves crested restlessly.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a review if you can! It encourages me so much to see what you guys think about my stories :) Also, I am usually a Klance shipper and I couldn't figure out how to include Keith in this story without him being with Lance so he's just.... hanging with the rebels on the other side of the planet ;) Since my doc manager likes autocorrecting my alien words, please let me know if you find any typos or inconsistencies :D


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